Wichita eagle., 1887-09-18
WICHITA'S BEAUTIFUL HOMES,
Or What is the Secret Of Such Universal
Admiration.

There is something in the makeup Of
Wichita, or something in the viYacity,
spirit and dash Of her life, an assiduity
and wakefulness In her atmosphere which
seldom If ever fails of capturing the wis.,
tor and which renders her average inhab-
liant not only loyal but enthusiastic. This
something Is not easily defined or anylized.
Some hold that 1t is in the location of the
city, in the broad and liberal way In which
it is spread out In the midst of an almost
illimitable valley with long shaded avenues
which are everywhere intersected by the
timber fringes of the streams that wind
about and through her borders. Others
think that this fascination Is begotten of
the metropolitan alacrity and promptitude
which ever seems animating her people
and which sends them rushing up and
down her business thoroughfares and
around her corners with momentum only
begotten of success. Still others suggest
the influence of climate, in face Of
the truth that the same eli
mate embraces every other Kansas
town, and that there is, as everybody
knows, but one Wichita. We are inclined
to the conclusion that all of these are
factors, but that one of the secrets of this
universal admiration of strangers and this
contentment Of her own people can be
traced to her homes. No city of Its size,
certainly none of its age. of which we
have any knowledge, in this or any other
state, can boast such a number, nor such
uniformly beautiful and attractive homes.
1t appears, and it is true, that the larger
number of our homes have suburban
air, not only as to style, but In location
and surroundings Outside of her bust
ness streets, Wichita might well be called
the city of suburbs. Each new builder
of home has only to go beyond the last
builder to secure just as eligible and just
as attractive spot as that OF any
other resident. And then the varied
styles and designs of Wichita's homes con-
st flutes an attractive and even interesting
feature. Our architects not only but our
people have come from every quarter of
he continent, and In adhering to former
notions and tastes as the proper and most
convenient structure, they followed a va
riety of styles, designs and oddities proba-
by never before broght together In single
;ity. No single suburb or one street seems
stuck" on any one style of house, so that
n an hours drive the beholder is treated to
IN almost numberless variety of designs
# geneneral forms and of infinite details.
And many, very many, Of these homes are
beautiful and Symmetrical In outline, harmo-
NOUS in ornamentation, and costly, and,
not few, superb and magnificent. And
hese homes are not set out on the open |
prairie to dazzle and blaze throughout the
summer months and to be exposed to blasts
md discomforts of winter, as Is the case
with the homes of so many of the towns
n the western states, but nine out OF ten
# them are embowered with shrubbery
md shaded and protected with trees, stud
led so thickly as to form forest but for
he clustering homes.
Wichita is a city Of beautiful and attract
We homes, not only hundreds of homes,
put thousands of them. AS an earnest Of
his declaration we elsewhere print pic
ure-copy of photograph of Hon.
VIM. Grieffenstein's suburban home, in
he northwest portion of the city, which
vas built this year, and which Is only one
If a hundred magnificent residences, of
wood and stone, of brick and thing erected
his season In this city